A Common Enemy
by Stormin Mormon
Summary: Post Heartless Strike/Bourne Pilgrimage. The Connors learn that Skynet has stolen a nuclear device to start Judgment Day. Bourne is called in to call his favor and the CIA part of a deal: find and kill a FBI thorn, John Connor. Bourne/Nicky John/Cameron
1. Set For Collision

A Common Enemy

Chapter One

Set For Collision

For Cameron, the choice placed before her was infuriating. In one hand, she held a printed image of a vase of red roses; in the other, a printed image of a vase of yellow tulips. She had to choose one for the theme of the wedding. Her wedding. With John. The thought sent her emotion simulator activating. But there was an issue; she had to choose a type of flower for the wedding. Everything hinged on this one decision, because the ribbons and colors could only be ordered after she had picked a type of flower. These insignificant floras were halting the entire wedding.

Despite what John constantly muttered when he thought he was talking too quietly to hear, her fashion sense was not as innate as he would believe. It was more researched every night when she connected to the internet, in an attempt to wait for John to wake. So she was unable to determine why she should have roses over tulips or why color was such an important decision. There would be color and scents either way, wouldn't there? Or did the tulips have a more proper smell for a wedding? There was no data she could research for that purpose. Nor could she choose by checking how many weddings had roses against tulips.

The man she loved, John Connor, was no help in this dilemma either. She had tried to get him to help her with a choice she didn't understand at all, but something seemed to bother him. Cameron had noted that it involved Derek. Every time she managed to convince John to help her with a task she didn't understand, Derek was nearby. He would mutter the words, "John and flowers." At hearing this, John's face would turn red and he would storm away muttering death threats before Cameron could do a trace on him. Derek would always laugh afterwards. It was plain to Cameron by now that Derek was teasing John, but she didn't understand how. Did John have a painful memory with flowers? Or were they referring to what John had once called the 'guy' thing?

Nearby where Cameron was standing, Sarah passed by with a laundry basket. "I do not understand," she told Sarah. Sarah sensed a Cameron question. Knowing she had already accepted the machine as her daughter in law, she might as well start acting friendlier. Sarah put the basket down.

"What don't you understand?" Sarah asked. It didn't miss the mother's trained eye that Cameron the flower images in her hand. She'd had those images for three days now. The machine seemed to have a fashion sense; couldn't she pick flowers? Sarah decided that if she was asked to pick to just go with Cameron's left hand.

"Why is it that Derek is able to tease John by mentioning flowers whenever I am seeking his advice?" Cameron asked. Now Sarah understood. So that was why John hated his uncle at the moment.

"Well, flowers are considered to be a feminine trait," Sarah explained. "Men in these times are supposed to be masculine: tough, hairy, whatever. To be choosing flowers for a wedding would be seen as extremely feminine and by being feminine they're 'undermining' their masculinity." _Men and their pride; Derek takes his too far._

Cameron tilted her head. "But would it not be more efficient to be both feminine and masculine? That way a person could be passive or aggressive depending on the situation. Wouldn't only choosing aggressiveness lead to trouble?"

Sarah growled and grabbed the laundry basket, reminded of something irritating. "You would think so," she grumbled, moving to the washing machine.

"Thank for explaining," Cameron called after her. She returned to her examination of the images. So John didn't want to choose flowers because it would be seen as feminine and not masculine? She filed the information under John and the newer Guy databases. A lot of mysteries in John's file had been transferred to the Guy database. Cameron wondered if John would like the roses then. The roses were red, similar to blood. Combat was masculine and there was blood in combat.

_Analyzing logic………processing chain of thought………logic concluded; answer is true………recommended course of action: choose red roses for chain of reference to masculinity; inform John of assurance of his masculinity._

Cameron walked towards John's room. The door was shut as usual. She raised her hand to open the door and paused. Did John want her just walking in still? Derek knocked; Sarah did on occasion. Did she have the right to enter? A short logic check said yes. She opened the door and went in. John was sitting on his bed, staring at the container of Joseph's blood. Joseph had given it to him right before he died. She recognized it as what would start Project Vader. It was also a testament to his memory.

John looked up and smiled. "Hey Cam," he greeted. He noticed the pictures. "Oh no…"

"I have made a decision regarding the flowers," she told him. She was pleased when his face exhibited relief and joy. She had aided in securing something that was important to him, even though she wasn't certain why. She was about to tell him why, but her hearing picked up a car rolling up to the driveway. "Ellison is here," she told him.

He stood up, and Cameron put the images on his desk for now. They went out to greet Ellison in the living room. Sarah came out from the laundry room and Derek, well; John wasn't sure where he had been. It must have been close; he had two different gun parts and cleaning fluid on his hands. "Hey cop," Derek greeted, as casual as always.

John noticed that something was different about the FBI detective today though. He was wringing his hands, and he looked pale. Sarah noticed it too. "Something wrong?" Sarah asked.

Ellison paused to think before he answered. "Did the FBI find us?" John asked, ready to grab his stuff and run. Ellison continued to think, as though he was about to tell them somebody had died.

"A fugitive, wanted by the CIA and NSA both, recently entered the border of the United States," Ellison began. The Connors, Reese, and Phillips listened to him intently. Ellison took a deep breath. "Because he's in the US, that means the CIA and NSA can't directly hunt him. And the FBI wasn't too eager to draw away manpower from elsewhere. So, they're making a deal."

"The FBI and the others?" Derek asked. "What did the FBI want in return?"

"They wanted John Connor caught, killed if necessary," Ellison answered. A sense of foreboding entered the room, and Cameron checked for exits and possible threats three times over before Ellison even started again. "Any associates of his are under the same fate."

"I thought we were dropped," Sarah stated.

"You had been," Ellison agreed. "But with recent circumstances, they've realized that you're not dead after all. So in exchange for diverted manpower, the CIA is sending somebody to deal with the 'Connor' situation. I have a guess, but I'm not certain."

"I'm not worried about being found," John said. "We've been here under the FBI's noses; we can outsmart a CIA guy." Ellison didn't appear to believe him.

"The FBI has picked me to meet the CIA contact, since I worked on your case before," Ellison finished. "Once we've met, I'll tell you about him."

Sarah shifted around. "Who do you think it will be that's unnerved you?" Sarah asked.

"A former CIA assassin, one of those from that Black Briar program that just went public and through the news."

"Black what?" Derek repeated. "We haven't been exactly in the real world for a while. I haven't been watching TV anyway, except for that Wizard of Oz movie."

"They're deadly people," Ellison finished. "Enough to concern me."

"We have Cam," John concluded. He gave her a smile. "She's tougher than any assassin or whatever they send."

It appeared to relieve Ellison. "You're probably right. Just thought I would give you a heads up," he said. He left afterward; he had no reason to stay around. Everyone went back to what they were doing. John headed towards the computer. He had heard of the Black Briar scandal, but didn't think it important; he had thought it was just another corrupt program. But now he wanted to know the background at least. Cameron joined him, massaging his shoulders.

*****

Jason D. W. Bourne was returning from his daily jog when the phone rang. Out of instinct he checked to see if the noise caused any disturbance and he checked the number ID as well. The home Landy had managed to secure for him and Nicky Parsons was in a subdivision near the NASA Kennedy Space Center; but old habits died hard. Bourne would remain forever alert and suspicious of everything around him. When had he been given a break before? Neither Jason nor David could remember one before Treadstone. He did recognize the number as one he wanted and dreaded, depending on the persona.

Nicky came around the corner, waiting to hear what the conversation was about. She would know what he was thinking as he said it. They shared a very intimate understanding of each other's feelings and thoughts through their body postures and stances; it had come from years of working together and loving each other. "You called," Bourne said into the receiver. The person on the other end, whom he knew as someone skilled in their field, was not taken back by his impolite greeting.

"I did," Landy agreed. "I'm calling in my favor on the house I got you. It's a simple assignment: short, quick, and uncomplicated." It was like a prayer of his had finally been answered. The only simple assignments Bourne had done recently were mowing the lawn. Everything since Wombosi that night on the boat had been complicated and stressing. If Landy's intelligence wasn't wrong, he had something simple. Complicated had been one reason David had been dreading this call.

The other reason the persona David Webb had been dreading the call was that while he owed Landy for finding them a place to live and hide away from the world, it meant at some point he would be called back into action to once again enter the darker world. David was content to remain in a peaceful atmosphere with the woman he loved and let his troubles fade away until he might reach some point of normalcy. The persona Jason Bourne had been waiting impatiently for the call. Filling in the favor meant that it would be over and done with. Jason didn't tire of the underworld of murder and espionage, either. Jason was Bourne's killing side.

"What?" Bourne asked. "Who? Where?"

"The target's name is John Connor. He's a wanted terrorist by the FBI, along with his mother Sarah Connor, a girl his age we can't identify, and another man. There might also be another male teenager involved, considered insane and…primal. The FBI last pinpointed him living somewhere in the Californian area, around this subdivision," Landy explained, giving him the coordinates. "Do not underestimate any of them. They've outran the FBI for a long time."

"How does the FBI want them?" Bourne asked. This was important for him to know.

"Dead or alive; the choice is up to you when you catch them," Landy answered; she had no doubt in his skill. Dead then, he decided. Both personas knew it would be easier to deal with, and after his recent years dealing with corrupt figures, terrorists didn't stand high in his ranking. "There's a representative for the FBI, waiting at their headquarters nearby to brief you…will Nicky be coming?"

Bourne didn't answer at first. Both personas would rather leave Nicky to keep her out of harm's way, but both also knew that she had a will of her own. Neither wanted to leave her, either. He lowered the phone and faced her, shuffling a foot. His posture was reluctant, asking. Nicky's response was unhesitant as she moved to answer. Bourne lifted the phone back to his mouth. "Yes," he answered.

"I'll let them know. There are no back plots, no corruption, no mafia vengeances; it's clear and cut. Catch a cell of terrorists. It's even morally correct," Landy assured. Bourne wasn't so certain. Things had a way of complicating. It was Murphy's Law; what can go wrong will go wrong. He hung up and faced Nicky.

"Time to pay the mortgage?" Nicky asked. Bourne gave a slight nod of the head. Nicky nodded, and turned to pack what she needed. Bourne followed her to grab some of his things. They packed in silence, Bourne's case filled more with weaponry than clothes. Nicky had a few handguns herself. But her posture was quiet, saddened, tired. He put a hand on her to reassure her.

"This is it," he promised her. "No more missions or past ghosts after this."

Nicky gave him a rare, prized smile. "I know," she replied. "I might miss it." The last part was a joke and serious at the same time; she was capable of putting so much emotion and meaning into her expressions. It was one of the things Bourne loved about her. He closed up his suitcase and headed to pick out a passport. Even though he would be travelling by car, Bourne didn't want his identity to notify people of where he was; he wanted to disappear. He had a large reputation in Washington. If Paz was right, the entire Bourne incident was a case study for new CIA officials.

He went down the list of names and selected one he hadn't used in a long time, and then selected a matching one for Nicky. They stayed only a moment longer to eat lunch, make sure the house was wiped down, and then went out to the car. Their two suitcases were thrown in back and Bourne climbed into the driver's seat; Nicky took the passenger's seat. They pulled out of the driveway, got on the highway and headed west towards the coordinates Landy had given him.

An hour after they had gotten on the highway, Bourne told Nicky what he knew. At this point both had handguns by their armrests. Nicky agreed with Bourne; in experience it was always complicated. But she hoped with him that it would be kept simply. Bourne drove through the night, knowing he could finally be done with his past if he completed the goal of killing terrorist and fugitive John Connor.


	2. The Situation Worsens

Chapter Two

The Situation Worsens

Ellison could admit to himself that he was nervous. Meeting a CIA assassin that was from Black Briar went against a lot of things he believed in. Those assassins or assets tended to break the law to do their tasks, including the laws of their own country and the limits of the organization that sent them. They were assassins after all; none of them would have been welcomed with open arms, hence more espionage and illegal activities. The other portion involved that they killed and murdered without hesitation or regret. Such wanton killing was against the foundations of his religious beliefs. One of the Ten Commandments was Thou Shalt Not Kill. These men did it for a living, and were condoned for it.

And if his gut instinct was right, whoever the CIA sent could cause serious trouble for John. However, John didn't need any more trouble than he could afford. Ellison thought there was more on John's shoulder than a man should bear; now the government was sending elite assassins after him. Ellison had to throw off the assassin somehow. He could try to make the Connors sound intimidating; he doubted the person could be intimidated. But if Ellison could make his briefing to the CIA man sound vague and strange enough, then perhaps he could give them time, delude the trail so that the assassin would have a harder time finding them. He had to make himself seem like an enemy of the Connors as well.

From where he sat at the table with his folders, Ellison watched the door open. It sent chills down his spine, and it seemed as though the door opened slowly; he must have started having an adrenaline rush. The first person to enter was a woman. She had blond hair that came down to her shoulders, a worn dark green felt coat, and a look that was searching and knowing. Whoever she was, she was intelligent. The woman didn't have the deadly look in her eye that marked her as a killer, but even if she was passive she was a threat in other ways. The second person that entered behind her was a man, and he caught Ellison's full attention.

The man was dressed simply in a gray shirt and black jacket. The way he moved was unassuming and yet it wasn't at the same time. But what stood out the most to Ellison was his face. He recognized that face, from countless news shows, missing person queries, and at one point the CIA's Most Wanted. The face was cold, blank, ruthless, intelligent, and a death sentence. Ellison felt a chill go down his spine. This man was Jason Bourne, David Webb—the renegade assassin from Black Briar who had taken the entire program on and won. The CIA hadn't just sent anyone; they had sent their best piece, their elite, their queen, their ultimate tool.

The situation for the Connors became much worse in Ellison's eyes. He had gone over some of the files the FBI had on Jason Bourne when he had been having a slow day. They had made his jaw drop and doing double takes on the street. He had appeared all over the globe and then vanished without a trace. It was said Bourne could stand right behind a man before he realized that Bourne was there, or that Bourne could hit a target from a mile down the street. Ellison had seen some of the facts; he believed a majority of them. Few people had the caliber and potential for such skill and chaos. The only thing Ellison thought could be more terrifying would be the return of the machine called Skynet.

Jason Bourne and the woman sat down across from Ellison. "Are you James Ellison?" Bourne asked.

"I am," Ellison replied. He tried to feign ignorance. "You are the CIA's contacts?"

"This is Nicky Parsons," Bourne introduced. "My name is Jason Bourne." He said it coolly, without trouble; he did not fear his own name. Ellison needed to do anything he could now to give the Connor's even a spare minute. "What's the background on the target?"

Ellison cleared his throat. "The target is teenager John Connor: white male with dark hair. He's about sixteen or seventeen." He opened the first folder and placed down a picture of John from the bank. "At first it was believed he was a victim of events, but lately it's been thought that he is masterminding the cell's operations."

"Who are these?" Nicky asked, pointing to the two women in the photograph.

"This is Sarah Connor, John's mother. She is responsible for the destruction of multiple corporations as well as the murder of Miles Dyson. Originally she was the only terrorist, but her son has proven much cleverer at the game," Ellison answered. "The other girl is Cameron Phillips. Other than that we don't know much about her. She has no history that we can find." There was good reason for that.

"Any others?" Bourne asked. Ellison saw an opportunity to give the Connors an advantage and worked on keep his voice flat and even.

"No; just those three," Ellison lied. Bourne examined the photograph more; he was probably putting the images to memory.

Nicky stared at the photograph for a shorter time before sweeping a lock behind her ear. "What's their motive?" she asked.

Here was where he could try to disorient them. Ellison began. "Sarah Connor believes that one day robots will rebel against mankind and begin trying to exterminate us. She claims that the father of her child was a soldier from the future sent back to protect her. She was placed in an asylum for a time, but she didn't show any improvement. She escaped with the help of her son, a child at the time, and another man who had murdered a police precinct several years earlier."

"Did she show any other symptoms or medical conditions?" Nicky interrupted. Ellison was thrown off guard. This Nicky Parsons must have some sort of psychology degree.

"No," he admitted. "After escaping, they murdered Miles Dyson and destroyed his corporation. Then they vanished. Occasionally they were found but escaped; the man that had been with them was never seen. It's assumed that he is dead. Then eight years ago, John and Sarah Connor were seen at this bank," Ellison tapped the photo "with Cameron Phillips. They destroyed the bank and it was assumed they killed themselves in the explosion. No trace of them was found for eight years. Then they began to appear in reports out of the blue."

"What's their goal?" Bourne questioned.

"We don't know."

"You were on their case before they vanished eight years ago," Bourne continued. "Do you suspect where they vanished to?"

"Into hiding is our only guess," Ellison said. Which they had, just eight years later.

"They've been seen lately then."

"If the reports are true."

"They haven't aged?"

"Not at all. They're the same they were eight years ago," Ellison confirmed. John was still sixteen, and if his mother was telling the truth about to marry Cameron.

That didn't seem to faze Bourne. "Have you run into them since they reappeared?" Bourne asked. Ellison focused on keeping his voice cool again.

"No," he lied. Bourne continued to ask a few more questions, as did Nicky, and then Bourne stood up, nodded, and left. Nicky Parsons followed him. Ellison sighed and leaned back in his chair, covering his eyes with a hand. The meeting had been more stressful than he expected. He needed to warn the Connors about who was on their trail; if they hadn't known about Black Briar, then they needed to know about Jason Bourne.

Outside the room in the hall, Bourne's body language shifted as he turned towards Nicky. Nicky gave a bare nod. "Then you caught it too," Bourne muttered.

"He was lying," Nicky agreed. "He's seen them lately."

*****

"Oh shit," Derek grumbled, hanging up his cell phone. Sarah glared at him. He glared back; now was not the time for lectures about language. He decided not to speak but turned on the TV and tuned it to a news station. They listened for a while before Sarah swore as well. Derek was grateful that Fred, Mark, and Jack were partial to watching TV. Otherwise they would have missed this, and then it would have been game over. "I think I know whodunit," Derek said. Sarah ignored him; John needed to see what was being reported. She called for him.

John came rushing out of his room, recognizing his mother's tone of voice. Not surprising to Sarah, Cameron was with him. When wasn't Cameron with John anymore? Very important private times came to Sarah's mind; they had better not be together during those. If she so much as caught hint that Cameron sat on the toilet and waited for John to shower, she would kill Cameron and snip John. "What?" John asked in a surly teenager tone. He had been either doing something or hadn't felt like coming out; it was probably a combination of both.

"We have trouble," Sarah said, folding her arms. John looked to the TV for an answer. His tell showed for a moment before he swore as well. He turned up the volume to hear.

"…The final confirmation of casualties is not still not fully accounted at this time," the reporter was saying, "but officials aren't declaring any survivors. Camera footage from the scene has been erased, further adding to the mystery of the terrorist group responsible. An FBI source has stated that the level of thoroughness was unprecedented, although fingerprints apparently have been found at the scene.

"Nobody has claimed responsibility for the theft which is another anomaly for the mystery group. However officials assure us that whoever did do this won't be able to remain hidden long, since the means of transporting and concealing a missile of this size are unconventional. The National Guard has been called in as have a large amount of FBI and SWAT teams. We can expect security at checkpoints and airports to increase until the situation is resolved and the missile is secured or destroyed. Back to you Bob."

The screen changed back to another reporter at a desk in a newsroom. "Thanks Phil," Bob said. "For those of you just tuning in a nuclear missile has been stolen from a US military storage facility. The Def Com level has been raised to 2 and will likely rise to 3 in the near future. People are advised to stay in their homes as much as possible and businesses are being asked to close. Also, the military is conducting searches for information in nearby homes; homeowners are being asked to cooperate to help catch the cell responsible. The map shows the areas and homes in the vicinity of the missile silo. In the mean time your news station will be here to keep you updated as this crisis continues…"

"I'll bet you anything that Skynet or any of its metals had something to do with this, not some terrorist group," Derek said. John agreed with Derek on that point.

"So we can assume Skynet is going back to square one and just trying to start Judgment Day," John said.

"Square two," Cameron corrected. "Square one was killing you." John didn't answer back. He didn't want to hurt Cameron's feelings by saying something rude, but that kind of comment was really not necessary at the moment. What they needed was a way to track the missile.

"The shape doesn't matter, Tin Miss," Sarah countered. At least his mother could speak her mind. John wouldn't if it meant Cameron was injured, even emotionally. "How would Skynet start a war with a stolen nuke?"

"By detonating it in a country with an adequate amount of nuclear weapons," Cameron answered. "The highest probability of success is blaming another nation for the detonation. This will bring more nuclear systems online, as well as creating funding for an artificial intelligence to control them."

"But if everyone knows the nuke's stolen," Derek asked, pointing at the screen, "Won't they figure that terrorists did it?"

"Not if the leads point to agents of another nation," John answered for Cameron. He could see how it all went together in his head. No matter what country was bombed, US military would build Skynet to either protect their nukes or to use them on another target. Skynet would come into production and use nukes on everyone. They needed to find and destroy the nuke, fast. "Do you know how to find it?" John asked.

"My power source is nuclear. I can scan for nuclear weapons and energy sources," Cameron answered.

"But you can only do it in a certain range," Sarah concluded.

"That's correct."

"How big of one?"

"Seven thousand yard radius."

"Great," Derek complained. "Now all we need to do is run back and forth across the whole world until our nuke detector goes Bing." Sarah punched his shoulder as warning, but what Derek was saying matched what they were all thinking. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. They needed to narrow the range down.

"Mom," John called. "Can't Ellison give us leads until we figure out how to find a missing nuclear missile?"

"He can feed us what the FBI knows at least," Sarah agreed. "He said he would call or visit after his meeting's over. If he doesn't know about this already, he will soon."

*****

Across from FBI headquarters, Nicky sat at the bus stop, listening to an iPod. She kept her face down towards the screen but her attention across the street. Two blocks away, Bourne was waiting in their car for Nicky's signal. The doors opened, and somebody else left the building. Ellison still hadn't left yet. Bourne had expected him to leave within half an hour of their meeting. It was twenty-eight minutes since. Nicky knew Ellison had to come out soon; she had gathered a good amount of information on his personality by meeting him; and Bourne was rarely wrong when it came to the deadly and precarious game of espionage.

As the song she was listening to ended, Ellison exited the building. Nicky did nothing, but paused her iPod and reached for her phone in her pocket. She turned it on; only one headphone was connected to the iPod. The other was a no-hands set. Ellison looked around before getting into his car. Bourne picked up the phone to answer her. "He's leaving," Nicky reported.

"Call Paz," Bourne said. "Have him follow Ellison. I'll follow Paz's signal."

"Be careful," Nicky warned. Bourne hung up, and she called Paz. He was waiting in a rental car with a signaling device for Bourne to track. Nicky watched as Ellison drove away. Half a minute later, Paz drove by. Another half minute passed before Bourne stopped by. He stopped long enough for her to climb in, and then they headed after Paz's signal.


	3. Resistance versus Assassins

A/N: This story is now dedicated to those who have been patiently waiting for it. Sorry to keep you all waiting.

Chapter Three

Resistance versus Assassins

Sarah had been sitting on the deck, waiting for Ellison to arrive after his meeting. Thoughts flickered through her mind, trying to paint a picture of events beyond her grasp. A nuclear weapon had been stolen by one of Skynet's machines, attempting to set off Judgment Day. And now the FBI had made a deal with a CIA assassin to kill them. Was it all connected somehow? Skynet had put machines into places already to secure resources for the future war. Had it also placed machines in places of power through governments as well?

Perhaps the assassin was the machine; Sarah knew it took a steel will to kill in cold blood. A machine would make a good assassin. She couldn't help but smile a little to herself. Sarah had finally complimented them on something that was good for a lack of emotion.

Inside, she could hear nothing but soft noises. John had retreated to his computer in order to see what he could discover about the nuclear abduction. Derek was cleaning weapons until he knew what to shoot at. And then there was Cameron… Cameron was pacing; she called it perimeter searching, but Sarah knew better. If Cameron experienced human emotion, it was actually restlessness.

A black car drove into their driveway. Sarah pushed herself to her feet as Ellison got out of his car. Immediately she sensed trouble; something had shaken him and he didn't bother to hide it. "What's wrong?" Sarah asked, folding her arms as they reached each other. Behind her, Derek cracked open the door to investigate.

"You have to leave," Ellison ordered. Sarah's brow furrowed and Derek stepped out to join them. Ellison shifted his weight as he looked around. "It's who I feared it was."

"We got Tin Miss; we're fine, aren't we?" Derek asked.

Ellison shook his head. "Cameron will help, but this man… he doesn't have to even get past her in order to succeed. He could kill all of you without having to face her," he explained. Both Sarah and Derek could tell; Ellison was more than just rattled. "I just sat in a room with Jason Bourne."

"Bourne?" Sarah repeated.

"Jack Mark and Fred mentioned something about some guy on the news named Bourne couple months ago," Derek remembered. "Said he got shot and fell off a building and didn't die. Is he a metal?"

"He could be, but I don't think so," Ellison answered. "I talked to him, and lied about not seeing you. It felt like he saw through me, more than anybody I've met before. I don't know, but I think he knew I was lying. But he didn't call me out on it."

Sarah sighed and glanced at Derek. _And here comes the trouble all over again_. "Get John and Cameron," Sarah told him. "We're leaving for another safe house."

"What for?" John asked. He had come outside to see what was going on. Not even two steps behind him was Cameron, eyes scanning the perimeter. "What's going on? Is it about the nuke?"

"John," Sarah started, but she was cut off by the sound of something slamming into metal. They whipped around to see a car veer off the road and run into the back of Ellison's car, moving both of them towards them. Cameron ran forward and struck back with her hands, slowing them down before they could hit the others.

"Everyone back," Derek shouted. "There's no driver." Ellison and Sarah procured guns as they ran back towards the house, Cameron covering John with herself. Her eyes stayed focused on the empty car. _Scanning…analysis complete…Warning: Car is loaded with remote incendiary devices…Addendum…analyzing…Warning: Separate fuel tanks discovered; Recommended Actions: Retreat behind building walls to prevent blast from damaging John Connor…searching for attacker…Warning: remote detonator activated_.

No sooner had the door to the house been opened and Cameron practically shoved everyone inside than the runaway car exploded with tremendous force, detonating Ellison's car as well. The sound of fire reverberated through John's ears as two cars and several bombs blew up, no more than twenty feet from him.

Derek peeked over the window once the blast had ceased, staring at the destruction. "You win, Ellison," he muttered. "This guy means business." He sneezed, and a window nearby fell apart. Then a gunshot cracked half a second after. He dropped his head again and pulled out his own handgun.

"Where did that shot come from?" Sarah shouted. Cameron looked in a full 360 degree search, and then answered. The shot had come from through the smoke, fired by a rifle. "Great, thermal scopes. He probably knows where we are. Derek, come with me. We're going to get this guy off of us. Cam, stay here and keep John safe. Ellison, you better leave."

Ellison shook his head. "He already knows I'm here. I better come," he assured. John started to protest, but Cameron put a hand on his shoulder. _Analyzing…shooter Jason Bourne has a 86% kill chance of striking John if he does not stay put…Recommended Course of Action: keep John low to the ground and head towards back_.

"I will take him to the other safehouse," Cameron answered blankly. It might have been a calm tone, but inside her emotion simulator was heating up quickly. In roughly 7.4395 seconds her security had been breached and John was in a much higher threat of danger than he had been. _Analyzing and comparing to other known templates…emotion is fear…fear is debilitating, increasing motor response control._

Sarah, Derek, and Ellison moved sideways out of the house, making sure to stay behind cover. Sarah reached a small opening and then ran for the next house. A stream of bullets rained down hair's breath away from her head, striking wood behind her. Gunfire from Derek and Ellison stopped any more from finding their mark.

The shooter, Paz, stopped firing as shots discovered his point of view. He withdrew from sight and began dissembling his rifle. Once it was in his backpack he started away towards the alley, letting the three give chase. Three of them against him meant Bourne had an easier shot. He whispered something into his headset before snapping it and breaking it. Paz took out a pistol and turned into a dead-end alley.

Quick on his tail, Ellison led the way. He entered the passage the shooter had taken and spotted the alleyway. Taking cover against the corner, Sarah and Derek lined up behind him. Ellison counted down on his fingers, and all three of them spun into the alley, guns at the ready.

There was no shooter.

Derek hesitated. "Where'd he go?" he asked. Sarah glanced around and noticed; the manhole was partly open. She started to step forward to examine it.

Gunfire ripped from the dumpster, nearly hitting Sarah. They ducked backwards from the alley entrance; Sarah took cover one way and Ellison and Derek the other. She gritted her teeth; how had he had time to do all of that? Derek caught her attention and signaled a question. She nodded, noting she wasn't hurt.

Inwardly, Derek sighed in relief. He was going to get this guy now; anger was fueling his movements. What type of person just plotted killing like this? There was little sound from the alley, and Derek guessed he was taking proper cover. That wasn't the case. Abruptly the gunman shot out from the alley and struck. A thrown garbage lid struck Sarah in the head, knocking her off her feet. Before she had hit the ground, the shooter was in Ellison and Derek's faces.

A flurry of blows painfully disarmed both of them, and Ellison was knocked unconscious by a chance blow to a weak spot on his skull. Derek was struck as well, stumbling backwards to get away from the quick dulling pain.

Sarah grunted and got to her feet to see Ellison unconscious and Derek falling backwards by a man with a rusted frying pan. "Jason Bourne," she accused.

The man hesitated, and then spoke. "Associate," he answered, and came at her with his improvised weapon.

X

Inside the house, John was moving back towards the back of the house, trying to keep out of any possible sight. Cameron stood unafraid of bullets, no gun in her hand but without need of one. She was busy scanning for any more threats to John. The first shooter had left, drawing the other three with him. That left only her and John; Cameron ran a probability that suggested a second target would approach. This second attacker would likely be Jason Bourne.

_Scanning…analyzing sound and thermal readings…no threat detected; re-run search; Scanning…switching to lower decibel ranges…sound detected, analyzing for threat…sound analyzed; Warning: threat detected._

Jason D. W. Bourne was walking, swiftly, through the smoke towards the house. His breath was held and his eyes stung, but doing so would allow him to approach better. But no sooner had he reached midway through the smoke than he heard a female voice shout, "John, run!"

His cover somehow broken, Bourne raised his gun and fired in the general direction of the voice. Cameron felt a round strike her shoulder and reported the wound to be cleaned after this was over. John was behind her, reaching for his gun. "John, he wants you, not me. I will take care of him. Get to safety," Cameron ordered, and marched forward as a man burst from the smoke.

John felt strained. Why did he always end up running? When would it end? Cameron was right this time. There was no way a man would be able to beat Cameron, but if he died then it was all over; and those shots were getting closer and closer to him. Torn by his own inability, John leapt out the back window and headed for the safe house. He would be back soon, with a shotgun.

Seeing his target escape out the back, Bourne turned his attention to the teenage woman. He emptied his magazine as he fired at her, but thought maybe he was hallucinating. Every one of his shots hit with excellent accuracy, but she only twitched at his shots. His gun empty at the moment, Bourne let it drop and charged the girl.

Cameron saw him race forward and raised a fist to strike a finishing blow. But instead of engaging her hand-to-hand, she was suddenly tackled backwards into the couch. Her sensors scrambled to unveil the strategy when Bourne attempted to strike at her. Cameron caught his attack and shoved him off of her. Bourne flew backwards into the bookshelf, spilling its contents and knocking him to the ground.

The Terminator protector got to her feet and walked towards Bourne as he got to his feet as well. He grimaced; something was wrong here. He had fired an entire magazine into her, but she was unaffected and had shoved him across the room. Jason Bourne noticed it first. Something was different about her eyes; she wasn't human, not entirely. David Webb snapped them out of it; their life was at stake now.

Bourne ducked beneath Cameron's first swing and delivered a perfect strike to her stomach. Solid muscle met his blow but she didn't even stagger. Instead, she grabbed him as though it didn't even matter. Bourne punched upwards at her chin as she tossed him, and Cameron's eyes were diverted enough to disrupt her throw; she relied upon sight. Accordingly, she reduced her dependence on sight for the fight and increased her other sensory outputs.

This time, Bourne landed on his feet and picked up the closest weapon; a small blanket. He twisted it up as Cameron stalked towards him. She swung at him and Bourne wrapped the blanket around her arm to slow her swing. It didn't work and he was forced to take a step backwards. Cameron swung again, analyzing his movements to decipher his strategy. She swung again, trying to work the assassin into a corner. Instead, Bourne lashed out with the blanket, using it in the same way as a wet towel.

It snapped about .9836 inches from her right eye, but the result was the same. The small sonic boom was enough to cause the human part of her eye to snap shut, protecting itself until it could heal. Cameron could force it open, but that would delay her healing process and result in it taking longer to heal. So she was reduced to one eye as Bourne prepared for another strike.

Cameron caught the second whip attack and ripped the blanket away from Bourne's grip. He let go of it after he had momentum and slammed his shoulder into Cameron, forcing her to stumble back. She wrapped her legs around his torso and rolled, pinning him with her weight. All of her processes were focusing on integral weak points on Bourne's body, but he seemed to be able to protect all of them at the last second.

Stuck beneath an inhuman girl who weighed about as much as he did, Bourne defended himself from her attacks. She felt like steel, and he couldn't block his forever. He twisted as she reared a punch, and the momentum tipped them slightly. He pushed and both of them fell sideways. Cameron caught herself from hitting her head, but it allowed Bourne to snake away back to his feet.

She got to her feet and found the assassin had already procured another tool. This time he had a table leg. Cameron examined the wall next to her and removed part of a steel pipe. Inside of Bourne, both his personas swore.

X

John kept his pace normal but quick as he moved down the street. He needed to hurry to reach the safe house. Not that he would be staying there, but there were better weapons he could get to help Cameron and the others. He had come so close to losing her before; he wasn't about to lose her now.

At first John didn't notice the footsteps behind him, his thoughts focused on Cameron's safety. But he did hear the gun click and a voice call out, "Freeze."

John had been working on his reflexes lately, and he was able to draw his own gun and turn before the word was finished. The future general found himself gun to gun with a woman named Nicky Parsons. Neither moved, said a word.

Nicky's eyes bored into John's and he kept up his glare. Perhaps he could intimidate them with the things he was supposed to be. On the other side, Nicky stared deep into John Connor. The defiance and determination were blocking out anything else she could find out from him. Psychology had never been tested much in high stress situations. If she was Bourne, she might have just shot him in the leg and be down with it.

Instead, she searched deeper until she found what she was looking for. Then Nicky moved.


End file.
